Everyone can see what&#8217;s happening downtown these days, with the new lofts, new arena and new entertainment district.</p><p>But there&#8217;s something else monumental worth noting &#8212; downtown has experienced the largest decrease in crime in Kansas City so far this decade.</p><p>It is part of a trend of declining crime in the vast majority of Kansas City neighborhoods, according to a new analysis by <em>The Kansas City Star</em> and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.</p><p>Among Kansas City&#8217;s 240 designated neighborhoods, the Downtown Loop had the largest drop in total violent and property crime incidents from 2001 to 2006. The Crossroads area had the largest per-person drop in crime.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s pretty significant. It&#8217;s another boost for downtown,&#8221; said Suzi Aron, who was president of the Crossroads Community Association during that period.</p><p>Kansas City police typically provide crime statistics on a citywide basis or sorted by the department&#8217;s six patrol divisions. However, UMKC&#8217;s Center for Economic Information has begun sorting the Police Department&#8217;s crime data by neighborhood, and <em>The Star </em>compared the neighborhood breakdowns this decade.</p><p>The neighborhood-level analysis offers an overview of where and how widespread crime has dropped from 2001 to 2006. The highlights:</p><p>&#8226;More than four-fifths of city neighborhoods &#8212; 83 percent &#8212; experienced a drop in total crimes, combining violent crimes and property crimes. Besides the Downtown Loop, other areas with a few hundred fewer incidents included Westport, Blue Hills and South Indian Mound in the Northeast area.</p><p>&#8226;In 15 percent of city neighborhoods, crime was cut by at least half, topped by an 83 percent plunge in Sterling Acres near Independence. Other big percentage declines occurred in the Ward Parkway-Brookside area and in the older Briarcliff section up north.</p><p>&#8226;Still, crime did increase at least 20 percent in 14 neighborhoods. Nearly half of those were in the Northland, including Davidson and Hill Haven in Clay County.</p><p>Police Chief Jim Corwin attributed the general decline in crime across the city to having 200 more officers over the last few years and a better deployment of resources, which consultant studies had recommended.</p><p>&#8220;A lot of the pieces are working together,&#8221; Corwin said. &#8220;We&#8217;re becoming more intelligence-based, focusing on problem solving and putting officers where we need to. We&#8217;re thinking smartly about how we deploy officers.&#8221;</p><p>In addition, from interviews with neighborhood leaders and police officers, <em>The Star </em>found a direct connection between crime declines and neighborhood vigilance. That vigilance takes different forms.</p><p>Take the Downtown Loop. Five years ago, the Downtown Council formed a community improvement district, which paid for yellow-jacketed &#8220;ambassadors&#8221; to roam the streets picking up trash and stopping panhandling, among other things. From 2003 to 2006, the ambassadors intervened in more than 21,000 suspected drug, drinking and trespassing activities, according to improvement district records.</p><p>Longtime residents such as Maryann Hammond have noticed the difference the ambassadors have made.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s been incredible having them around,&#8221; said Hammond, an artist who walks to work every day between the Garment District and the government district. &#8220;You don&#8217;t feel threatened because you know there are some safety patrols there for you. It&#8217;s a lot, lot better.&#8221;